Filing of candidacy for seats in BARMM parliament begins
COTABATO CITY — Security around the Bangsamoro capitol has been intensified as the filing of candidacy for next year’s parliamentary elections in the autonomous region kicked off on Monday.
Regional officials of the Commission on Elections-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Comelec-BARMM) told reporters on Monday that only through a congressional measure can next year’s first BARMM parliamentary elections can be postponed and appointment of members of the 80-seat regional lawmaking body be done by Malacañang. The filing will run up to Nov. 9.
The first set of 80 BARMM lawmakers who served from 2019 to 2022 were appointed by then President Rodrigo R. Duterte. The incumbent regional parliament members were appointed in August 2022 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
Officials of the pioneer and largest regional political party in BARMM, the Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP) told reporters on Monday that they are ready for the 2025 first ever parliamentary elections in all five provinces and three cities in the region.
“Our party is all set for next year’s first ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections,” Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal A. Adiong, Jr., a senior SIAP official, said.
Ray D. Sumalipao, regional director of Comelec for BARMM, said they have started accepting certificates of candidacy for representatives to the parliament. — John Felix M. Unson
